The Grackle and You

Imagine a wide chasm, sundering the desolate landscape as far as the eye can see. Over here on this side, you stand, wishing (as you often do) that you had a new and distinctive literary experience to enjoy. Over there, in the distance across the chasm, a miraculous mass of materials swirls around the air in an imaginative frenzy: bears and whirlpools, gantry cranes, a painting by Georgia O’Keeffe, car collisions, foxfire, toilet paper, paisleys from an alternate reality, yachts, tombstones, potato salad, a sculpture, a milk tank, and a body-building terrier, all caught up in the winds of hope.

You might be surprised to hear this, but the above image is an allegory. The crazy clutter of stuff on the other side of the chasm represents the contents of the next issue of the Grackle. On this side of the chasm, you represent, well, you. The chasm itself represents the embarrassing fact that you have not yet pledged your support on the Grackle’s Patreon campaign, making the publication of Winter 2016 possible and securing your own treasured copy.

The contents of our new issue are all ready to go. We’ve ordered and received the limited edition letterpress cover, with a beautiful design by Serena Howe. All that’s missing is your support. We really do need it! We can’t pay contributors, print copies, or send them in the mail without dollar bills. We don’t have a deep pool of funds or the backing of a powerful institution. We exist only because our readers collectively decide that we ought to, and express that decision by sending money. You’ve always done so before (for which we are infinitely thankful), and we trust you’ll do so now. Please consider becoming a patron tonight!

To those seventeen noble souls who have already pledged, thank you forever! But don’t forget to remind your friends that they, too, are worthy of being called a Gracklist, and should not cheat themselves of that high honor. Thank you!

Through December 10, we are now offering a special limited series reward for patrons at $77 or higher. This year, decorate your tree, coat-rack, or other vaguely tree-shaped object with a Grub Street Grackle ornament. This limited series piece, hand-painted by resident genius Eva Carriere will be sent to each of the next seven patrons to pledge $77/issue or more to our Patreon campaign.

The scroll inside each ornament will contain a unique short message from the Grackle.